


Something's Gotta Give

by squidney24



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Angst, Because I would like old Bayley back thanks, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda?, Time Travel, basically we're swapping Bayley's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:33:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25945150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squidney24/pseuds/squidney24
Summary: In this house, we want the Past!Bayley back, and we're getting her.Or.One night, Sasha wishes that her Bayley would come back to her. And, somehow, it works. Pre-Elimination Chamber 2019 Bayley is in the present. And current Bayley is sent back to her past. Now, they all must confront what they become. And, maybe, just maybe, change for the better along the way.
Relationships: Sasha Banks/Bayley | Davina Rose
Comments: 15
Kudos: 39





	Something's Gotta Give

**Author's Note:**

> Aaannddd here we go. I have finally struck inspiration anew. I'm currently in my feelings about how much Bayley has changed. And we're gonna fix that. 
> 
> Additionally, I plan to come back to Nice to Meet Ya. Maybe somewhere during this fic or after I have finished with it. I want to wrap it for everyone in a nice, pretty, fluff-filled bow. I have most of it written, but I keep rewriting to find the perfect way to end a story I love. I promise it will be done and posted. I'm just unsure of the timeline! I'm so sorry for the hiatus on it. But I'm attempting something new here!

Ding.

Sasha glances down at her phone and sees the alert on her screen notifying her that her Uber ride is downstairs. She glances suspiciously toward the bathroom of her apartment where Bayley is taking a shower. She breathes a sigh of relief at the sound of running water and quickly grabs her purse, slips her shoes on, and quietly rushes out of the room. When she reaches the front door of her apartment, the door shuts with a click behind her. She pauses for a moment in the hallway. 

A distinct feeling of loneliness and grief courses through her. Sasha feels sick. The exhaustion weighs her body down. A grief that has lingered for months feels as if it’s built up so heavy that it may soon choke her. Sasha can’t pick a single moment where the change started, but her breathing is quick and unsteady with the fear that this is all finally coming to an end soon. Like somewhere along this journey, she boarded a train with no brakes.

And now the inevitable crash is coming as the end of the tracks become visible. But there is nowhere to run. No exit door to jump off to safety. No lever to pull to put the locomotive into reverse. No other track to divert upon to start the journey anew.

Just an end.

An end to her and Bayley. And to the relationship they’ve built.

With nowhere else to go, Sasha pushes forward down the hallway of her apartment building. She walks mindlessly with heavy feet until she reaches the elevator. Her hand trembling, she presses the button that will take her down to the lobby and out of this building. Bayley’s presence in her home, once filling her with happiness and life, now feels stifling and dark. 

She has to get out of here.

Everything feels different now. When Bayley stands in front of her, she no longer feels the distinct giddiness of being around her lover. Instead, there is only a desperate foreboding representing the fearful doom inside of her.

Bayley is different.

She’s changed over these months, and Sasha feels sick even being in her presence. The words spoken earlier that day loom over her heart and at any second the weight of them may sink down on her heart until it crushes her completely.

“Now, I have something important to fight for.”

Tears sting into Sasha’s eyes when the elevator door opens. She swallows a sob and blinks the tears back, used to stifling her own emotions. Instead, she paints a false smile on her face and makes her way forward with unsteady feet. As she pushes the handle to leave the building, memories wash over her.

Sasha remembers a time where Bayley thought that she was worth fighting for. Maybe she was ungrateful then. Didn’t cherish Bayley enough for all the sacrifices she made. All the times she stepped in front of Sasha with no hesitation to meet a blow that was never intended to hit her. The moments where Sasha was at her worst, pushing Bayley away with everything she had, but Bayley never left. She just held on to Sasha tighter. 

Maybe she was the one that drove them here. That was driving this train all along. Sasha was the one who left. When wrestling began to feel like a dark nightmare instead of a dream, Sasha was the one to throw the towel in and run away. She left Bayley all alone to save herself.

And maybe that was unfair.

When she came back, Sasha was the one that pushed Bayley to change. To turn her back on the Hugger and help Sasha get back on her feet. To reach the top. Again, Bayley sacrificed for Sasha. She didn’t even hesitate when Sasha asked. Just changed and shifted until she fit with the new Sasha who somehow returned to her.

Maybe Sasha was the selfish one all along. And maybe she deserves the Bayley she forced her girlfriend to become.

But she never thought that the consequences would fall on her. Looking back, it was because, in the past, Bayley had never allowed Sasha to reap all the terrible things she sowed. It was always Bayley that took the brunt of the wrongs Sasha had done. 

Maybe Sasha has been the villain all along. 

And after years of asking Bayley to change to fit the new form of herself Sasha had created, she couldn’t bring herself to ask Bayley to change again. She was the one who forced the worst change yet upon Bayley. Sasha practically begged for The Role Model. And, in true Sasha fashion, when she got what she wanted, she finds herself wanting something else.

She just wants her Bayley back. Not whoever is waiting for her upstairs. This new Bayley that believes Sasha isn’t important enough to fight for anymore.

But how could Sasha ask Bayley to change back now? After everything they’ve been through and all they’ve accomplished together this year, Sasha simply decides on a whim that she wants another change.

It’s always been about her. She realizes that now. Now, when it’s too late.

And yet, still, Sasha knows her decision is selfish. Fruitlessly, she tries to stifle the real reason she won’t ask for this change. She pushes down her fears that, maybe this time, Bayley won’t change for her. That’s she pushed too many times, and Bayley has shifted so many times that she’s stuck. 

Maybe Bayley finally realized the truth too. That Sasha has always been the selfish one. And Bayley is sick of giving when all Sasha has done for years is take and take and take.

Now, Bayley is the one taking. She took Sasha’s heart years ago. In a way no other person has ever been able to. She held it carefully in her hands with bright eyes.

But now Sasha wonders if the shimmer has faded from her heart held in Bayley’s hands. Because, every day, Sasha can feel the life being taken from her too. The further away Bayley drifts the less Sasha has inside her. And her greatest fear is that soon she will be empty. 

Pushing herself out of her thoughts, she realizes that she’s made her way outside. Knowing she can’t go back yet, Sasha opens the door of her Uber and climbs inside, silently closing it behind her. She sits back in the seat.

“So, where are we going, ma’am?”

Her eyes lift to meet the gaze of the woman in the driver's seat. Sasha tries to smile genuinely but curses herself when she reads concern on the face of her driver, who can clearly see past her weak facade.

“Surprise me,” Sasha replies weakly.

“Uh, is—is everything alright, ma’am?” 

Guilt rises in her throat as she once again receives kindness she doesn’t deserve. 

“I,” Sasha sighs, “I just need to get away for a while. Somewhere no one will look. Just something different. Do you know a place like that?”

The driver, a woman of about Sasha’s age, nods at her. Sasha’s eyes observe the driver. She’s dressed in all black with several piercings and tattoos covering her body. Her hair is cut short and dyed blonde with pink highlights scattered about. 

“I think I might know just the place.”

The driver shoots Sasha a kind smile before turning around. She turns up the volume of her radio, but Sasha doesn’t recognize the song. The beat is clearly pop-punk, and Sasha’s heart aches at the reminder of Bayley’s favorite music. 

Bayley would know this song.

Sasha almost asks her driver to change the station but can’t bring herself to make yet another selfish demand. Instead, she lets the music course through her veins, consuming her just as Bayley is. She deserves this pain. It’s her fault.

Her gaze drifts out the window as the city passes by her until it's morphed into more sparsely scattered buildings. Her mind wanders with thoughts of the unknown destination that is her end. All Sasha knows is that she’s never been through this town despite the thousands of miles she’s traveled throughout her career. 

She clicks her phone screen and holds it in front of her until it recognizes her face and unlocks. Half an hour has passed. Immediately, her eyes are drawn to several missed calls and new messages, all from one person.

Bayley.

She at least still cares enough to notice Sasha’s abrupt disappearance. What should bring her comfort instead leads to more grief. If Bayley hadn’t changed, the calls would have never been missed and the texts would not be sitting unread.

Instead, they would have never existed. Because Sasha would have no reason to escape the Bayley of her past. If Sasha could have her back now, she’d never leave her side again. And she’d finally give back everything she had taken from Bayley.

She’d give it all wholeheartedly and give back even more. Sasha would give back everything for her. For a smile saved only for Sasha. A hug from a warm body ending with a gentle kiss on her head. An “I love you,” whispered against her ear that would send shivers through Sasha. 

A kiss. Just one more. From the Bayley Sasha had loved for years. Wanted even longer than that.

“Hey, you still with me?”

Sasha shakes her head regretfully and turns from the window to her driver, realizing as she does that the car has stopped. 

They are parked in front of a single building. Sasha assumes it is a store of some kind, but not a popular brand. The building has clear wear and is made entirely of paneling. From the outside, it appears small with narrow steps in the center leading to a porch with a single door of entry a few feet from the steps. 

“Yeah, I’m here,” Sasha says, managing a small smile, “Where are we?”

The driver nods kindly, “A small antique store. It’s my favorite place to go when I’m looking for something aged and lost to give a new home. I thought maybe you could find something here meaningful to you. It sounds cheesy but, for me, sometimes the only thing that can connect me to the present is something from the past.”

Sasha blinks at the information, surprised by the distinct relevance of the destination to her current situation. How the driver managed this, she has no idea. But she’s grateful nevertheless. Maybe she can find something different here too. 

“Thank you,” Sasha answers genuinely, touched by the thought put into this trip.

The woman grins, “No problem. Go on in. I’ll wait out here until you’re ready to go.”

Sasha nods and shoots a parting smile at the driver before exiting the car and walking toward the shop. The gravel of the path to the stairs is old, with patches of short grass peeking through the rock. As she makes her way up the stairs, she hears the stairs beneath her creak at the strain of her small weight. 

She pauses at the entrance and shoots up a short prayer to whatever God may be up there. Sasha doesn’t know how a worn antique might solve the problems left behind in her apartment, but she can only hope for help. 

The bell attached to the door rings when she opens it, and she steps into the shop, letting the door shut behind her. Looking around the shop, Sasha notices the scattered mess of items, clearly not organized in any recognizable fashion. Her eyes finally come to rest upon an elderly man sitting on a tall stool behind a stained wooden counter. His warm eyes meet her and somehow convey the wisdom of his age.

“Well, hello miss,” the man speaks with a smile, “What brings you all the way out here?”

“Um, hi,” Sasha stutters out, suddenly nervous as she realizes she’s the only person in the shop. She anxiously tucks a strand of blue hair behind her ear. In these kinds of situations, Sasha would usually linger in the background while Bayley chats the man up. Bayley was always the one more adept at speaking with strangers, “I guess I’m just... looking for something different. Old, maybe? I don’t really know.”

The man smiles, “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

The term of endearment, which would usually creep her out, seems harmless and benign coming from the shopkeeper. It is clearly conveyed with timely politeness and intended to make Sasha more comfortable. She can feel herself begin to relax around him, intuition telling her he presents no threat.

“Sasha,” she answers shyly, “Sasha Banks.”

“Very pretty name, Miss Sasha. I’m Jimmy, but my friends call me Jim. I think I’ve got a few things that might fit what you’re looking for,” he responds with a curious twinkle in his eye.

Sasha feels herself relax even more around the man as he escorts her around the shop, showing her item after item. They take their time while he explains the origins of their creation and how they arrived at his shop. 

They pause at a shelf with mismatched items resting haphazardly upon it. Jim points at a small, painted box that is chipped and scratched from years of use. Again, he begins sharing the story of this antique. 

Voice scratchy and worn, Jim explains, “I got this item from a cousin of mine. She used it for many years to hold her makeup. Betty was a spirited woman, fiercely independent in a time where that was not looked upon fondly. But I always admired her,” Jim reminisces with a soft expression, “She passed away many years ago. Peacefully in her sleep. I miss her dearly.”

Sasha looks at the man, a sorrowful frown curling her lips, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s quite okay, dear,” Jim reassures her, “She lived an adventurous life. She protested heartedly in the 90s for women’s rights in the workplace. She was never married but made good money picking up many jobs around the world. But she always came back to visit with me.”

“That’s nice. She sounds like an amazing woman,” Sasha replies softly.

Jim nods gracefully, eyes lingering on the painted box, “Yes, she was.”

The two move on from the box. Sasha listens attentively as they continue making their way through the shop. He points out more items but none quite fit her. Each time he explains another story, Sasha meekly asks if he could show her something else. Even though she’s unsure if she’ll find an antique she will purchase, she doesn’t leave the store. Jim is comforting, welcoming, and warm.

She stays longer, and her attention never wavers. Slowly, her thoughts of Bayley drift away. And she knows she’d make her way around this entire shop to continue listening to Jim’s stories.

No matter how many times Sasha passes on an antique, the kind, elderly man never grows frustrated. He seems pleased that Sasha is walking with him around his shop and quickly moves to his next item. When Sasha asks again to see something else, he nods gently and continues on. 

He never says no.

Eventually, they arrive at the back corner of the shop. Sasha comes to a stop beside Jim and looks in front of her. There is a hanging rack filled with jewelry of all kinds. It’s sorted in rows by type and seems to be the only part of the shop with a semblance of organization.

Jim points at a necklace in the upper corner of the rack and grabs it carefully from its resting place. He gently places it in his hand and displays it for Sasha. The necklace is clearly old fashioned, and she recognizes the careful, skillful work it must have taken to make it.

The chain is silver and encased in the middle is a stone Sasha pinpoints as a sapphire. Even though the necklace must be old to be present in this small antique shop, it still has a sheen of newness.

And it’s beautiful. 

“Where did you get this?”

Sasha can’t help but ask curiously. Immediately, she feels drawn to the piece and mindlessly reaches up to her neck and runs her fingers on her skin where the necklace would rest.

Jim chuckles, “This is one of my favorite items in the shop. I don’t often show it to those who wander into my store. But the blue of your hair reminds me of this sapphire. The sapphire is a gem that traces back thousands of years and represents aged love. And was believed in older times to be a gem of healing. Other than diamonds, it is the only gem that remains indestructible. No matter the pressure placed upon it, the shine of a sapphire never fades.”

The words from the kind man resonate in Sasha. As he speaks, she feels a connection form between the necklace and herself. A longing for times past once again rises in Sasha. Without thought, Sasha feels herself reaching out. She brushes her fingers gently across the gem. Her eyes fill with tears.

As Sasha stares at the necklace, entranced by its beauty and meaning, she misses the knowing smile of the elderly shopkeeper in front of her. He continues his description of the sapphire.

“The secrets of the gem have remained mysterious for thousands of the years. I received this particular item from a young woman about your age. I usually must pay for the items in my shop, but this one was given to me for free. The woman said this item was passed to her from her grandmother, who always told her it would grant a single wish from those who treasure it.”

Sasha, still staring at the necklace, mutters quietly, “How much?”

Sasha’s eyes don’t move from the necklace. The glimmer of the stone is almost hypnotizing. She’s not sure she can leave the shop without it. 

Jim smiles fondly, “It should be obvious that I am a very old man. I grew up in a simpler time. And I was raised to believe that a good deed must be repaid if one wishes to reap the benefits of gifts received. This particular item was given to me for free. And I will return that favor to you.”

Sasha’s eyes dart from the necklace to the wise man before her at the words. She shakes her head emphatically, “No, I can’t take this from you without giving you something in return.”

Jim’s blue eyes light up, “Ah, miss, you have already paid. You have given me the gift of good company and the grace of a kind listener putting up with the stories of an old man.”

Jim grasps her hand and opens it gently. He carefully places the necklace in her hand and closes her fingers around it. He smiles at her with soft features, eyes crinkling at the edges. His hand still rests around hers.

“It is yours now,” he says meaningfully, “Treasure it and you too might find great meaning within the mysteries of an old relic.”

Tears fall slowly down Sasha’s cheeks, and she looks at Jim with awe. She never expected to so quickly form a connection with a stranger and the aged items in his shop.

“Thank you,” she whispers breathlessly.

He chuckles and winks at her teasingly, “Giving jewelry to a beautiful woman is its own reward.”

A rush of gratefulness fills Sasha’s chest. For a moment, she forgets the heaviness that has lingered around her for months. Instead, it is replaced with fondness and affection for the elderly shopkeeper clasping her hand. Before she realizes, Sasha steps forward and hugs the man.

Jim chuckles once again and wraps his arms around her. An unfamiliar yet consoling hand strokes her hair. The hug comforts her and new tears spring into her eyes. She closes her eyes and lingers in the warm embrace before pulling back.

“Thank you,” Sasha replies, wiping her remaining tears, “I’ll take care of this. I promise.”

Jim nods kindly, “You will. And, who knows? Maybe one day my gift will be repaid with another visit from a beautiful lady.”

“I’ll come back,” Sasha promises eagerly, grasping his hand once again.

“Aye,” the man answers with a smile and squeezes her hand, “Now that is enough repayment for me.”

Sasha clasps the necklace tightly in her hand. The two walk back to the entrance maintaining light, easy conversation. When they reach the entrance of the shop, he holds the door open for her.

“We will see each other again. Perhaps, with no crying next time,” Jim says knowingly.

Sasha feels a genuine smile creep on her for the first time in a while, “Yes, I promise.”

“Goodbye, Miss Sasha,” the elderly man graciously wishes.

“Goodbye, Jim,” Sasha mimics, lingering in the doorway.

There is a pause for a few seconds. Sasha’s time in the shop was the first reprieve she has felt in months. She feels reluctant to leave this unexpected safe haven. She opens her hand and stares down at the necklace. Maybe the sapphire will not grant her wishes. But she knows it will bring her comfort.

With one last shared smile, Sasha exits the shop. The door shuts gently behind her. The heaviness of her world returns to her as thoughts of Bayley emerge again. With a sigh, Sasha walks down the stony path back to her ride. She opens the door and prepares herself to return to her broken life. Her back comes to rest against the fabric of the car seat, and her eyes shut.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” the driver asks, drawing Sasha from her thoughts.

Sasha’s eyes open.

“Yes,” Sasha answers truthfully, “I think I did.”

  
X

  
The apartment door closes behind her.

“Sasha,” Bayley rushes into her view with a frown, “Where did you go? I came out of the shower, and you were gone. You shouldn’t worry me like that.”

She’s pulled into a hug that brings no comfort. Sasha closes her eyes, and her hand reaches up to the necklace now clasped around her neck. Exhaustion creeps into her bones again. 

“I’m sorry,” Sasha answers. She feels herself lying to Bayley for the first time in years, “I thought I texted you. I wasn’t supposed to be gone this long.”

Bayley pulls out of the hug and stares at Sasha oddly, hands gripping her shoulders. Sasha recognizes the questions unasked in her eyes. Her Bayley would have cared enough to ask them. But that Bayley is gone. And she’s not coming back.

Sasha sighs, “I’m getting pretty tired. I think I’m just going to get ready for bed.”

Bayley pauses, surprised at the statement. But she lets Sasha go and steps back.

“Okay, Sash,” Bayley responds distractingly, “I’m gonna grab my title then and put it on my nightstand. You know it’s my favorite thing to wake up to in the morning.”

Sasha forces a smile on and shakes her head, “Yeah, I know. I won’t be long.”

She’s met with no response. Bayley has already turned around and digs through her bag to pull the Smackdown belt out. Sasha watches sadly at the bright smile on Bayley’s face as she stares down at the title.

Bayley’s eyes don’t move to her once, and she makes her way into the bathroom. She shuts the door behind her and slides down to the floor. Her head rests against the wood of the door, and she closes her eyes. 

Grasping the necklace on her neck, she holds onto the sapphire.

‘I just want my Bayley back,’ Sasha wishes.

The wish resonates in her and longing overtakes her again. Tears slide down her cheeks, and she cries alone on the bathroom floor. No arms wrapped securely around her and no comforting words whispered into her hair.

After a few minutes, she pulls herself out of the ever-growing sadness in her heart and stands to get ready for bed.

She goes to sleep that night with no arms around her. Bayley’s back is turned to her. Her hand reaching out on the bed toward her most cherished treasure.

It is not Sasha she is reaching for.

  
X

  
Sasha blinks awake the next morning to hands shaking her from sleep. Fear and worry rushing through her, she jerks up to the panicked, almost manic eyes of Bayley staring at her.

“Sasha, where am I?” Bayley rushes out, clearly scared and confused, “When did you dye your hair? Why are we in your apartment? How did the Smackdown title get here? And, wait, when the hell did I cut my hair?”

Sasha’s own eyes widened in shock. 

What is going on?

  
X

  
In another place and time, Bayley awakes gently with a smile on her face. Her eyes open wearily, expecting to see the blue sheen of her treasure in front of her. 

But the unfamiliar nightstand is empty. Panicked, she jerks to sit up on the bed. She frowns at the plain white sheets that should not be there resting on her legs. Eyes darting around for her title, she sees nothing.

Her eyes move to the other side of the bed, and her panic is renewed.

Sasha is sleeping beside her. A Sasha with long, purple hair. Bayley reaches up to her own hair and feels the presence of long locks.

What the fuck.

Where is she?


End file.
